Zutara OneShots: Ring of Fire
by zutara4alwayz
Summary: Rated K to T. NEW STORY! Ring of Fire: "To sum me up in a couple of faulty words, I'm not the type of boy that your parents would would want you to bring home on prom night." I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER.
1. Silenced

**Hey so this is my first one shot of many!!! I'm so excited for my one-shot series:)**

**Quick A/N: Zuko is 17 and Katara 15.**

**Rating: T**

**I don't own Avatar. Well, R&R and enjoy, of course!!!**

**Silenced**

There he was. Twenty minutes had passed and Zuko was still sitting on the edge of the dock with one of his knees propped up and the other knee was bent. His toes were stretching to reach the water located at least three feet below.

_He has something in his hand _she thought. Silently, careful not to step on fallen twigs, Katara leaned forward from behind the tree in front of her. It was a letter, filled with fresh creases and rough edges. She had thought that she had seen him crumpling something and then flattening it out earlier. He had done this a couple of times, in fact. She blushed at the thought of how long she had been stalking him

Katara hesitated as she stepped out of her comfort zone. She thought of the ancient rule about how campers should not intrude on counselors during their break…or that silly rule about camper/counselor relationships. But Zuko was not just a _counselor_, and Katara was not just a _camper_. Plus, she was very sure that her relationship with Zuko was…different than the restricted ones. At least, she wanted to believe it was.

With all the confidence that she could muster, she took a few steps into the open, and onto the rickety dock. It creaked under her weight, but Zuko did not stir. Katara almost turned around when she thought she saw a tear disturb the still water; its ripples extending continuously.

"Hey you," She started, "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead," He breathed. As she sat down, she peered at is face. He turned to her and smiled a soft smile. Katara stared right through the smile. She felt, breathed, and was immersed in his pain.

"You missed a great game back there. Aang is quite the soccer star…"

"Mmm…"

Her eyes traced his body from his white Volcom t-shirt to his beautifully sculpted arms to the cuffs of his dark jeans. She was blushing again, and quickly turned her head to the water.

Zuko watched Katara as her legs swung over the edge of the dock. She was breathing heavily, and she had a stray hair that rested on the side of her face, which flew every time the breeze picked up. In truth, he didn't want to talk to her. He really really did not want to talk to her, but there she stayed.

"Is that a letter from home?" Zuko blinked. He was falling in and out of sleep. Over the course of the first three weeks, he had become an incurable insomniac.

"What? Oh…yeah. From my dad. He's…a jerk."

She blinked. "What did he say to you?"

"He just keeps telling me about what a disappointment I am." Zuko tore off a small woodchip from the dock and tossed it.

"Azula's in Italy on some summer immersion program, and he keeps reminding me of the fabulous future she's creating for herself…while I sit here, making paper planes and hosing 12 year olds." He tore off a larger piece.

"Best part is, she's probably drinking her face off."

He laughed harshly and crumpled up the letter again, tossing the letter in to the lake. The paper ball floated on the water, sinking slowly. He looked at Katara, who seemed slightly frightened, her azure eyes shaking. The sudden eye contact made her blush, and she quickly turned her face away from him.

The sun was setting in the west, and the fireflies were just beginning to emerge. It was so quiet around them. Zuko had always found the best places to be alone. Except this time, he had small company; Small, doe-eyed, wavy-haired company.

"Hey…Don't mind me. I'm just tired and cranky." He whispered, as if to refrain from disturbing the tranquil air.

"No, I shouldn't have bothered you about it." She whispered back.

Suddenly, she flinched as she felt his warm arm creep its way around her waist. He tugged at her side, and he pulled his newest friend closer to him. Katara turned her head from the sun, and stared at him. He stared back, smiling. With his other hand, he twisted his fingers in the stray hair. She looked down, and smiled.

"Don't mind me," He repeated softly. She raised her head again and looked into his eyes. Her eyes were brighter than ever in the darkness of twilight. He could see them sparkling.

He began to feel wrong. He began to have dangerous thoughts. He began to feel anxious. He began to remember his girlfriend, who was coming to visit him the very next day. And Katara read all these feelings and more upon his scarred face. Things she feared, things wished to be untrue...her eyes could read them all.

And when he let go, she swiftly obliged by sliding away from him. She frowned, and Zuko could hardley bare to see her so forlorn.

Quickly, she composed a smile. "Oh! I almost forgot." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a red and black friendship bracelet, intricately twisted and twined.

"I made like a million of these today, thought you deserved one…maybe?" He smiled at her.

"Thanks, Katara. That's pretty sweet."

"I try…" She winked at him. He stuffed the bracelet in his pocket.

"So…Aang's quite the soccer player?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Katara smiled with thoughts of the young boy. "Yeah. You know, he's really enjoyed himself a lot here. Five weeks in the middle of nowhere can be tough for a first time camper."

"It's because of you." He whispered.

"What?"

"You are aware that he has a huge crush on you…"

"What?! No!" She turned red. "I…I don't even--"

"He really likes you, Kat. I mean, isn't it obvious?"

She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Well apparently not obvious enough!"

Zuko stared at her small hands on her hips. She was very shapely…for a kid. _She's fifteen_ he thought, _not a kid._ His eyebrows furrowed with frustration. She looked quite desirable, wearing blue athletic shorts and a white tank top which was unfortunately not very see-through. He mentally slapped himself.

"Well, how can he resist with you looking so good all the time?"

He shouldn't have said that…He was playing with her. She pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest.

Katara leaned forward so that her face was right above his. He had to lean his head backwards to see her eyes.

"One more comment like that and you're going in the lake."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her into the air, tossing her into the silent lake. She screamed just as she hit the water, muffled only by the splash. Luckily, Katara was an excellent swimmer.

"You...you…BUTTFACE!" She shouted as soon as her head emerged from the water. Zuko roared with laughter.

"Buttface? Really, Katara?"

"Quiet! Do you want them to hear us?" She whispered.

"Me? You're the one who's shouting!" He whispered back.

"Ugh! Zuko, you KNEW I was kidding!" She whispered. It echoed over the rippled water.

"Did I now?"

"Yes!"

"You knew better than to threaten me…" His voice trailed off as he stared at her, her clothes soaked through. Her shirt…He began to turn red, and even in the cool darkness of impending evening, she noticed.

"Come on in, the water SUCKS." She beckoned with a splash.

He smiled slightly, but it faded quickly. He couldn't say a word. Not now. Not to her. He did not want to talk to her...he knew what he would ultimately say. And as a result, Zuko was irrevocably silenced. Slowly, he turned away, and walked up the dock, into the forest and out of sight.

There she stayed, quietly floating in the cool greenish water.

And in her hand was the letter that he had painfully tossed away.


	2. Her Father's Laugh

**A/N: No bending, sorry guys! Takes place in modern times. Enjoy this oneshot!**

**Rating: K+**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Her Father's Laugh**

Katara took another look at her watch. It was the fifth time in one minute that she had done this, and upon realizing, she quickly shot her wrist back down to her side at the park bench. She ran her hands along her blue jeans and tossed her hair from off her cream-colored button down shirt. It wasn't that he was late. For multiple reasons, Katara was just anxious; more anxious than usual. Her wedding was two weeks. Thirteen days, to be exact. She checked her watch once more.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an all too familiar face. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to remove the rose tint that appeared in her cheeks whenever she saw him. His hair was flipped and unkempt, just as always. His black Ray Bans were hiding his amber eyes, although anyone would notice that scar from a mile away. As he approached her, she could see his smile widening. His small lips were quivering, keeping pace with his quickening feet. He approached the park bench, stopping right in front of her.

"Hello Zuko."

"Hey Katara!"

Her smile was shamefully weak, compared to Zuko's. He lifted the glasses and his eyes sparkled. He took a seat beside her.

"You seem unusually content." She stated flatly, almost in a whisper.

"I've been waiting all week for today, I guess." He replied. He jammed his hands in his jean pockets.

"So have we…I guess." She looked off into the distance at the playground.

Zuko smiled. "Has she grown an inch or two since last week?"

"Not that I'm aware of…" Katara chuckled quietly.

"And her hair…It's so beautiful" He turned his head slightly towards Katara, who met his gaze with hazy eyes.

His eyes darted in a desperate attempt to read her face. "Just like yours."

"Just like mine." She averted her gaze to the pavement path. Silence fell over them. Ten seconds later, they both attempted to speak.

"I guess I should--"

"Why don't you--"

They both laughed nervously.

"You first." Zuko insisted.

"Why don't you go on over there? She's been talking about you all morning."

"Sounds good." He sighed, rising from the bench. Zuko began to walk over to the playground; a slight spring in his lazy gait. He turned his head one last time to glance at Katara, who was holding her pink cheeks.

Katara watched the encounter from her island of a park bench. She felt her cheeks grow even hotter and her eyes burn from the sting of tears.

"Zuko!"

"Kya!"

The two of them ran towards each other, meeting in a beautiful embrace. It was as if they hadn't seen each other in twenty years, when they had just met about two months prior to this encounter. This was the fifth one in their new system of weekly get-togethers.

This was a system that Katara had devised on her own, only with the consent Aang, her blushing fiancée. Hakoda, had been outraged when she had first discussed the idea with him after she had seen Zuko on Kya's half birthday in the middle of a crowded street corner near the Quality Inn Hotel…Almost three years since she had last seen him. Katara knew her father would never forgive Zuko for leaving her when he did.

Katara was the only one who could just barely understand that it wasn't Zuko's fault that he had to leave her. From the brevity of the letter he had left her, she could tell that it had something to do with the scandalous lives of the Agni family. However, she could never forget the last line of his letter: _Please try to forget me_; something that would be hard to do when she realized the severity of their own situation.

And now, she sat from the sidelines, watching this innocent child and her former boyfriend play a rousing game of Hide and Seek through the slides and swing sets. And as she heard their beautiful laughter, she couldn't help but want to join them as they rolled through the fallen leaves. It was such a loving bond, one that could withstand itself, even through the clouded complications of their pasts. Katara was sure of it. Zuko was had the strongest will of anyone she knew. And she could see in his eyes that he absolutely adored the child.

Zuko and Kya played and laughed for about an hour, composing songs and taking on fabulous dramatic roles of all sorts, while Katara sat and watched them with feverish eyes. Afterwards, Zuko bought the little girl and ice cream cone, and sent her off to feed the turtle ducks. He jogged back to Katara's bench, sat beside her, and breathed heavily.

"She looks just like you, Katara." He gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"Except for one thing." She murmured.

"Hmm?"

"She has your smile."

Zuko nodded to himself, folding his hands together as he did so. "Yea, I've noticed that."

"She also has your fiery sense of spirit." She continued, "And your fierce determination…And your laugh."

"Does she now?"

"Yes, she does. She reminds me of you every time I make her laugh." Katara paused as she adjusted the side part in her hair.

Zuko smiled. "You're blushing again--"

"I know." Katara pressed her palms against her cheeks and hung her head.

"So are you ready?" He asked.

"Ready for what?"

"…The wedding?"

She had to take a deep breath. "Oh…I think I am. I'm ready as I'll ever be."

In a perfect world, he would have said, "_You're lying." _

In a perfect world, she would have said, "_I know." _

"Zuko…" She whispered, "Why?"

He stared into the setting sun. "You and Aang are going to have a long and happy life together," He promised, though his words were hollow, "and I will _always_ be here for you."

Then, in a wave of self-encouragement, in move that was almost taboo, Zuko leaned in, and sealed the delicate gap between them. Katara stopped breathing, and fought all her urges to fall madly in love with this long awaited connection. She had to remain stable…but she did not know why. She did not know why she had to hold back. Time began to start again as he pulled away.

"Katara, I--"

"Zuko!!!!" Kya cried as she ran down the pavement path towards them. Her ice cream cone was spilling all over her hand. Her thick long ponytail swished back and forth as she flew.

"Hey there, kiddo!" He smiled as she took his hand, clutching onto his thumb.

"Did you see the dog? Did you see the dog over there?" She jumped and pointed across the pavement at the large Golden Retriever that was playing catch with his owner's Frisbee.

"Yea, I did!" Zuko answered, somehow matching her incredible excitement, "I used to have a dog like that…"

"Woooooooow." She cooed, placing her tiny hands on his cheeks, "Zuko, I wanna go back on the swings!"

"Actually, Kya I have to get going."

She dropped her hands, and her cerulean eyes grew with her discontent. She sighed heavily as her face fell.

"I'm sad now." She whispered.

"Don't be!" Zuko ran his hand down Kya's head, "I will see you next Sunday."

She lifted her head to look at his empty hands.

"How do you know that?" She questioned with such a childlike innocence.

He planted a kiss on her forehead, "Because I love you." The little girl attacked him inan embrace as he stood up.

"I...love…you too, Zuko." She stammered as she held him. As she let go, Zuko reached in his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. He handed it to Katara.

"For you and Kya," He whispered. "Think of it as an early wedding present." In her hand was a check for two hundred thousand dollars.

"Zuko, you shouldn't have." She gasped.

"I needed to." He sighed, putting on his Ray Bands. He began to walk away.

They were thinking the same thing.

They were asking themselves the same question.

They were practicing the same method of self-restraint.

And as Kya turned to ask her mother why she was crying, they were telling themselves the same truths:

_It is not enough._


	3. Ring of Fire

**A/N: No bending, (again) sorry guys! Takes place in modern times, AU...some place in the states... Enjoy this oneshot! I had fun writing it :) **

**Rating: T**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Ring Of Fire**

To sum me up in a couple of faulty words, I'm not the type of boy that your parents would want you to bring home on prom night.

The thought of bringing a girl to the prom makes me laugh so hard, my heart becomes sore, and I have to stifle my grin with sadness. Of course, someone with my family history would not have a normal high school experience.

I've been raised in a household where my father sometimes does not come home at night, and would instead take my younger sister with him to horse shows and baseball games. My father is insane, and I have no mother to embody the role of mediator. They all claim that she hung herself on the day I was born from the shower curtain in her bathroom, but by the look of the blood stains on the wall, I believe differently. If that's not enough proof of my father's insanity, I have the scar across my left eye, generously given to me as a result of him throwing a log from the fire place at my face on Christmas Eve. I had closed the bathroom door on Azula's hand by accident. She wasn't even bleeding.

Every morning, I am haunted by my life; the memories looming in the back of my scarred head. One morning, I thought of this abstract concept as I stared into the black hole that is my locker, only to awake by the sound of it slamming shut. As I turned around to face the day, to face the peeling dripping halls of High School, I saw something.

More than an object, it was an orb of energy. It was a spirit that moved into the corner of my amber eyes; a spirit that fashioned dark blue jeans and a flowing green top, hugging each curve of her body. A girl who paraded down the halls, strutting almost, holding her books in one hand, the one on top entitled "Psychology for Dummies". She tossed her head; her hair secured with an embellished blue headband that rain across her forehead and around the back of her head. She moved so swiftly, so quickly that I feel as if I barely caught a glimpse of her...Yet I can't seem to forget whatever image I was able to see. I processed her, internalized and stared at her as she sauntered. One boy even cocked his head as she passed him, his eyes running down her hour-glass figure. I felt a burning desire to punch him in the face. He clicked his tongue, and she turned to look at him. Her cerulean eyes twinkled as she scolded him with her gaze. Batting her eyelashes, she turned on her heal, and floated away.

Just like that, she was gone, and I was forever lost.

The remainder of the day was spent concentrating on nothing but my image of her, the strange beauty that had graced the west end hallway. How could I have never seen her before? I had been in the school for all four years. How could such a beauty pass me by? I headed to the library to think about something else, waiting and wishing for a distraction. Then, at around 6:00, just like every other day, I watched the librarian drive out of the parking lot and onto Main Street. Just like every other day, I sneaked around to the backside of the library, and pulled out my lighter. And just like every other day, I watched the cloud cover roll in as I smoked all my pain away. It was an unhealthy habit, but I had forgotten the definition of healthy a long time ago. And as I blew the smoke into the cooling air, the unexpected happened.

She seemed to be in a hurry as burst through the back door of the library. She took off her silver flat shoe, and pelted it at the closed door. There were strands of hair falling onto her face as she frantically paced back and forth in front of the wall. It was about thirty seconds later when she noticed me staring at her through my cloud of smoke. I quickly leaned against the wall and turned my head towards the sunset. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her fold her arms in front of her chest and cock her head towards me. She began to approach my leaning body, her bare foot leading the other one. She stopped and gave me a once-over, waving my smoke from her face.

"You got a light?" She cooed. I nearly melted.

"Uh, yeah. Here." I forced myself up and reached into my pocket, handing her my black lighter.

"It's a little dysfunctional." I said. She got it on the first click.

"Thanks," She muttered, handing me the lighter. I stuck the cigarette in my mouth and rand a cool hand through my hair.

"You alright?" I asked, "You looked pretty shook up over there."

"I'm fine…Just fucking fine." Her hand was shaking as she leaned her back against the wall next to me. She inhaled a rather long draft of the cigarette and blew the smoke into the air.

"Ah. I'll keep quiet then."

"No, wait, sorry, that was kinda rude of me." She stammered, adjusting her headband with her free hand. "I'm Katara. People call me Kit Kat, but I really hate it."

She laughed in spite of herself. I could feel my cheeks burning.

"I'm Zuko. People call me Zuko, and I kinda hate it, but I deal."

She smiled at me, and I smiled smugly. Her eyes twinkled again.

"Zuko. That's an elegant name. Strange to think I've never met you before."

"It's pretty strange, but not uncommon in a school as big as ours."

She nodded. "Yea, I guess you're right. What grade are you in anyway?"

"I'm a second semester senior...Definitely has its perks." I sighed and blew smoke into the wind.

"Well I'm a second semester junior, perks yet to be discovered." She flicked the cigarette butt. "I was just in there meeting with my math tutor."

"Big calculus test coming up?"

"Tomorrow," She hesitated, "But the stupid jerk started hitting on me…" She started shaking again. "I picked up my things, called him a bastard, and ran out as fast as I could."

"Sounds like an asshole." I coughed, my free hand forming into a fist over my mouth. "You did the right thing, getting out of there."

"I know, I know, but I'm just really freaked out by the whole thing. I mean, look." She placed her hand on my arm. It was ice cold "I'm shaking like crazy."

I smiled at her, and she smiled back, pressing her thumb into my forearm.

"Your arm is warm…" She murmured.

"Your hand is freezing…" I whispered. She giggled softly and ran her hand down my arm and placed it at her side.

"You know, you could get in trouble if you're just seen with me around here." I sighed, tossing my cigarette to the ground and stepping on it, grinding it with my toes in my converse shoe.

"I'll take the risk…Zuko." She stated, winking her right eye and taking in another long draft of smoke.

"I'm not surprised…"

Suddenly, she dropped her cigarette onto the grass in front of her. She turned, positioning her hands against my plaid button-down shirt, and thrust me against the brick wall of the back of the library. She pressed her body against mine, taking my shirt collar into her fists and jerking my lips to her mouth. It was the most ferociously romantic encounter I would ever experience. She began to run her fingers through my hair, and I tried to gasp for breath, but she swallowed my tongue in her tobacco mouth. She grabbed my biceps, squeezing them and running her fingers along the veins. I began to quiver from the coldness of her body, and she ran her hands down my forearms. Taking my hands, she fixed them on her waist.

"Hold me," She whispered. I attempted to speak, but she took over my lips with an indescribable intensity. She threw her arms around my neck, and I stumbled slightly, hitting my ankle against the brick wall.

Suddenly, she broke the kiss, and stared at me with her ghost-like eyes. She didn't blink at all, and her lips were parted ever-so slightly as she breathed heavily. I stared back, unafraid but at a loss for words. I saw her hand twitch out of the corner of her eye, and she began to raise it, her green fingernails reaching towards her damn headband. She adjusted it, turning it slightly to the left, but never broke her gaze. Swiftly, I took her thin hand and placed her thin fingers over the skin of my scarred left eye. She kept her fingers still, cooling my face and melting it at the very same time.

All of a sudden, I grabbed her waist, and whipped her around, thrusting her against the brick wall. I hit the wall with both hands and attacked her pretty lips, devouring her scent of flowers and smoke. I nipped at her neck and collar bone, and she moaned breathlessly. Returning to her lips, I could feel my body heat radiating tremendously, and I could see the sweat beads forming on her hairline. The air around me became rugged; all around me was turning to a dry wasteland before my eyes. The abandoned cigarette on the ground behind me burst into flames. The smoke was rising up the back of my neck. Katara's eyes began to water, and the flames nipped at the souls of my shoes.

And there I was. Encased in a ring of fire. Captive in the hands of a perfect stranger. Freezing to the point of melting. In pain to the point of ecstasy. Her fingers spinning, spinning, running down my body and over the zipper of my jeans…

Thunder clashed, and I awoke abruptly in the front seat of my car. My hands were sweating, stuck to the steering wheel. My foot was over the gas pedal, and the dashboard was fogged to completion. I looked at the clock. The time was 6:45, and the rain was just beginning to pour, shattering the listless silence that I had kept so dear for the passing 45 minutes. I peeled my hand from the leather steering wheel, which left a wet mark, and placed it on the dashboard. Lifting my hand, I saw the girl from my dream through the glass, smoking on the side of the library building. From my watching post, I stared at her as she looked straight up at the falling rain drops. Shivering, she took sweat shirt out from her over-the-shoulder bag and pulled it over her body. She tossed her cigarette to the ground and poured the remainder of a Gatorade bottle onto the dying end. As she stepped on the cigarette, she moved to adjust her headband on her forehead.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw me staring at her from my foggy driver's seat. She squinted her eyes to try and recognize me, but she did not.

Flustered, she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and shot me her middle finger, mouthing the word, "Creep."

She walked off the grass, quickening her pace as she passed my car. I cleared off the window next to me and watched her walk to the other end of the parking lot and get in her car. The parking lights went on, the bright red light blinding my glazed eyes, and I watched her drive away onto Main Street.

It took me exactly ten seconds for me to decide that I was going to follow her.

* * *

Oooh interesting take on zutara, no? Well, whatever your oppinion is, send me your reviews! I love reviews (the good, the bad, and the ugly) so your input will be appreciated :D

Happy Summer in the States!! Hope you're enjoying my one-shot series!!

~ zutara4lwayz


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